re: Buying a half cow butchered

I do this, it's a damn fine way to save money & to support a local farmer. A quarter calf will last my household of two for 8-12 months. I bought a half steer last year & I'm still eating my way through it.

Depending on your location, you might be able to find a local slaughterhouse/packer who will connect you with a farmer. In Louisiana, small slaughterhouses don't have the level of USDA inspection that allow them to buy, kill, & re-sell to consumers. So you are technically buying the animal on the hoof from the farmer, who pays the slaughterhouse for its services. You pay the farmer for your share of the meat.

Not all slaughterhouses are created equal, either in terms of animal welfare or in their packaging quality. So if you want everything vacuum sealed & labeled, ask up front. They'll usually provide you with a list of their standard cuts, and you get to decide how much you want left as larger roasts, how thick to get the steaks, and how much ends up as ground beef. You'll also need to request less common cuts (I like hanger & flap steak, which require a special request at the particular Mennonite slaughterhouse my rancher friend uses).

It is worth getting a freezer alarm as well as completely filling your chest freezer w/ice or other frozen items. A half-full freezer is less efficient & should you have a power failure, it will defrost much faster than a packed one.